The Wind, It Travels
by tufted
Summary: While we're stuck here in Forget-Me-Not Valley, trying to be remembered and forgotten all at once. It's a rather confusing reality. Or in which Marlin thinks introspectively and Jill comes along to drag him out of his misery while all the while a certain thief lurks on the edges of this tumultuous existence.
1. Chapter 1

The first time he sees her she's struggling to carry a ridiculously large crate that's overflowing with bags of seeds. It's obvious that she can't see over the top due to that fact that she bumps into him, in turn dropping it.

She mutters something under her breath while scrambling to pick the bags up. Finally finished she stands up and places her hands on her hips, apparently pleased with the outcome.

"Need some help with that?" he asks, not entirely sure why he even bothers. After all, if she's who he thinks she is, there's no way she'll accept.

He watches her face drain of color, causing the stark contrast of violet eyes and the darkness caramel brown hair to intensify. "Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't think it was a person I bumped into."

That deserves a quirk of an eyebrow before he can respond, "And what exactly did you think I was?"

"A tree?" she says, more question than answer filling her response.

"A tree in the middle of the road?" he asks, a low undertone of amusement that he hasn't felt in a long time bubbling forth.

"Well I uh, after nobody said anything right away, you know what fuck it I have places to be alright? If you're going to be an ass then I'll be on my way."

He takes notice of the fact that her cheeks have suddenly become stained with what appears to be blush, but decides not to mention it. Instead, he stands arms crossed as he watches her try to lift the box.

He contemplates leaving her be but he knows that if she doesn't move it soon then Galen will notice. And he'll be damned if he lets the old man help her. Dealing with Vesta's constant insisting after is tiresome enough without having the added blow of _Galen_ of all people helping her instead of him.

"My offer to help still stands," he calls out, his gravely voice carrying just far enough for her to hear.

She's currently dragging the box along the ground and he can't help but finally understand why Jack always used a rucksack to carry his seeds. At least, back when Jack was still planting crops.

She starts to deny the need for help before finally sighing a defeatist's sigh. "That'd be great actually," she concedes, drawing herself to full height in what appears to be an attempt retain her image of strength.

He doesn't blame her, he understands that feeling a little too well.

He panics for a split second when he goes to pick up the box, because what if he can't lift it and Galen really does have to help them. _Now that'd be embarrassing_ , he thinks to himself before realizing that the crate is already in the air and he had nothing to worry about in the first place.

And so they walk in comfortable? Uncomfortable? (he's never been good with social subtleties) silence. At least until they reach the end of the bridge that connects the main part of town and his & Vesta's farm. That's when she apparently can't take it anymore and launches into a series of rambles that are rather hard to follow.

"The crate was easier to lift off the counter," she announces.

It takes everything in him not to respond with _well, obviously, otherwise you would have been able to have picked it up off the ground out in front of the shop_. But he doesn't say it out loud, partly because he doesn't want to come off as a rude asshole to _her_ but mostly because she's already moved on in the conversation without his input.

"Physics," she says with a shrug, swinging her arms by her side, as though she's a child who's just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar and in need of a solid defense. She shoves a bunch of more information that he can't really grasp, mostly because he's only half listening now- are they heading towards Jack's farm? So he was correct then about her identity then. He grimaces to himself as he catches the end of her high-pitched, "It's just physics, really."

Turning to face her because they've reached the mouth of Jack's final he attempts to hide his unease in the form of a smartass comment and a smirk. "Physics you say? And what exactly does physics have to do with farming?"

He expects her to turn into a blushing mess that trips over her words but instead is rewarded with a dark glare and narrow gaze. "I just fucking told you what it had to do with it." There's a bite to her words that he hadn't been there earlier when she had sworn in her slip up. He's taken aback to the point that he almost drops the crate of seeds that he had been lowering to the ground at the moment. Luckily he's saved by a very pregnant Celia making her way towards them through the orchard pathway.

"Oh Marlin," she exclaims, a hand on her stomach as though it's a way to steady herself, "your help is greatly appreciated you know." Her tone is so earnest, smooth and sweet he'd believe her reading a list of known lies.

"So that's your name," the caramel brunette remarks breezily.

"Marlin," Celia admonishes in a tone that forces him to feel guilt wash over him in waves. "You never even introduced yourself to her? No wonder she let you carry the seeds for her."

She doesn't continue with that line of thought but he knows where this conversation is going and he's already internally groaning. It's not even like it's raining, he's perfectly capable in this kind of weather. He ignores the reminder his brain provides of the time he passed out on a cool sunny autumn day and instead focuses on the current issue.

If it had been literally anybody else he would have given them a piece of his mind- but this is Celia he's dealing with currently. He's already on bad enough standing with her and Jack as is without adding a yelling match into the mix, so he remains silent and instead sends his glower towards the other girl beside him.

"This is Jill," Celia announces tugging her towards him in a manner that suggests she wants them to shake hands. "And this is Marlin, but you already knew that," she finishes with a giggle.

He expects Jill to refuse to shake his hand so he sticks his out in an attempt to get Celia to turn against her. Instead Jill's meets his a fraction of a second later and the look in her eyes isn't pity- he'd despise her if it was that- but instead empathy. A look of understanding passes between her and him, a look that states that they hate having to rely on others and don't look forward to it like someone like Celia. He let's her hand go when he realizes it's probably been an awkward amount of time to have spent shaking hands.

"I should probably go till the land," Jill proclaims in a manner that he personally feels is too loud for their current setting. "You know, so that I can plant these seeds tomorrow."

"Oh, do stay for dinner Marlin," Celia presses turning her attention towards him, apparently uninterested in what Jill has to say now. "The tilling can wait until tomorrow, can't it Jill?"

One glance at Jill has him noticing that while Celia is not paying attention to her sister-in-law she is currently glaring daggers at the back of Celia's head. So the tilling can't wait until tomorrow then. _This should be interesting to watch_ , he thinks to himself.

Except Jill grinds her teeth and in a false tone manages to spit out "I suppose it can wait until tomorrow."

And that's his cue to leave, because if anybody understands when it's time to make their exit- it's not him, not in the least. However, in this situation the direction he should take is palpable in the air and if somebody as daft as him can decipher that, then that is most definitely the course of action he should follow.

"Actually I have a standing appointment at the Blue Bar, what with it being Monday and all."

Jill sends him a look of relief that Celia either misses or ignores as he's instead rewarded with a flash of disappointment crossing Celia's face. "Oh that's right, Monday's were our days off." She shares a soft smile that's meant for him and him only, and he can tell that Jill's bristling.

He doesn't blame her, not really, Celia used to spend her days working for a living and now spends her days swaddled in the lap of luxury. Or as much of the lap of luxury that a farmer's wife can live. He knows that she doesn't have to work if she doesn't want to and yet here she is acting as though she still faces the same struggles that him and Vesta face every day. It would irk him, he supposes, if it weren't for the fact that it's _Celia_ and that alone is enough to excuse her of any crime in his eyes.

Suddenly Jill is being dragged away by a Celia that shows incredible strength for someone of her stature towards Jack's ostentatious residence. Turning her head towards him in a way that puts her just out of the view of Celia's peripheral vision she mouths a thank you before being snapped forward again by Celia.

He can just make out, "I made the most lovely stew for dinner tonight."

Followed by a, "But it's Spring, not Winter."

Which is then responded to with, "Exactly, which means there's still a nip in the air."

The conversation ceases when they enter the front door and that's when he makes his way towards the bar. It takes about three drinks in for him to realize that he left the seeds in the middle of the entrance to the farm. Four to remember that this is Forget-Me-Not Valley and that theft isn't exactly a problem. Five to remember the thank you Jill mouthed as she was carted away as he tries to puzzle out what exactly she was thankful for. The carrying the seeds? The trying to get her out of dinner? Everything's currently fuzzy and if his memory is blurred that must mean his speech is close to if not already slurred. After the sixth drink he wakes up on Tuesday morning with a hangover and an all to unhappy Vesta glaring at him.

"You know I don't mind you enjoying your day off, but…" She pauses and the lengthy silence holds a plethora of possibilities. He's heard them all, the you should know better, the what about your health?, the it's embarrassing.

Instead he's receives a heavy sigh in place of a lengthy reprimand. "You're an adult and also my brother, which means that I only want to protect you but I also recognize that I have no direct control over your actions." She leaves him be after that, more than likely to get started on taking care of the crops.

That's when he notices the heavy, distinctive patter of rain hitting the roof above him. He pinches the bridge of his nose with the hand that's not currently splayed underneath his pillow in attempt to lessen the pounding that's encompassed every essence of him.

He rolls over to check the alarm clock located on the night stand next to his bed. It's already eight, meaning that he should probably fall out of bed and scrounge around for something acceptable to wear before starting in on the inventory in the store. And yet he can't bring himself to do so because he's currently exasperated at a myriad of events. His encounter with Jill and Celia for one, himself for getting blackout drunk and for Vesta for not following their typical pattern. And so with that he flops back down and falls asleep- because really, what else could go wrong at this point?

* * *

 **Ayyyyyyyeeeee, so for people that are fans of my other I work I will _eventually_ finish them but I've been busy with life. Hopefully this one will actually get finished in a timely manner xD But yeah, please no getting mad if it doesn't I'm currently a Chemical Engineering major at a major university so my time is kind of spread thin. Over Christmas break I started playing Harvest Moon DS again and I felt really bad that I always married Celia and Marlin was always left forever alone :( So I decided to write a fanfiction dedicated to him :D But anyway feel free to leave, comments and/or criticism. I'll try my best to answer them and I'm planning on doing a once a week thing with this but sometimes life gets in the way~**


	2. Chapter 2

The second time he sees Jill she's floundering around in the river. The river located along the walkway that borders the lower portion of his and Vesta's farm to be exact. It's amusing to watch and he's incredibly grateful for the fact that Vesta is currently handling an incredibly touchy customer inside the store.

Normally he'd be placed in charge of inventory- but due to the fact that the sun is currently shining and there's not even a hint of humidity in the air she had no reason to do so. Also the fact that this customer was labeled as delicate status in the holy grail of a customer book that Vesta kept was another reason why she had decided to take this matter into her own hands.

But back in the present, he's grateful that Vesta's currently occupied because he doesn't need another lecture like last time. Or worse, a heady sigh that's saturated with disappointment. He's not sure which is worse, and is glad that this time he doesn't have to find out.

Leaning against the weathered wooden fence that's in obvious need of repair he waits for Jill to resurface. Her caramel hair is currently laid out like an oil slick atop the water and he can't help but ponder, for at least a split second that is, which is worse for his health.

She finally resurges from the albeit shallow depths and he just raises an eyebrow in a questioning manner. After all, he's never been one for words. Also he's not entirely sure how much tact this situation calls for after the last encounter that occurred between the two of them. And tact dealing with tact in a social situation has never been something that he's excelled at.

But then she notices him and he's rewarded with a well-aimed glare while she mutters something under her breath. So really, he can't help himself and before he knows it the words are tumbling out of his treacherous mouth and rolling off of his traitorous tongue. "What was that?" he asks, the question startling both of them with the intensity that is loaded behind it.

"I was trying to figure out why exactly you hadn't bothered to come help me," she retorts, yet she leaves words unsaid between them and he can't for the life of him figure them out. But then again, he was self-professed when it came to not being able to read in-between the lines.

And yet, he hates feeling like he's been one-upped so in return he gives as good as he gets. "I just thought you were doing a poor job of watering the crops," he confesses in a half-hearted attempt at sincerity before turning his back on her and making a show of the immaculately planted rows of vegetation.

He hears her snort and manages to turn back in time to catch a glimpse of her finishing an eyeroll. "Hardly, I was just fishing when I fell in."

Now it's his turn to snort, "I didn't realize fish that large lived in the river."

That manages to cause a blush to creep up along her neck until it reaches her cheeks. It's not entirely unpleasant to look at and he finds himself mentally trying to calculate a way to increase its hue.

"It was actually a boot stuck under a rock," she admits rather sheepishly.

A grin that more than likely appears in the form of a smirk forms as he nimbly hops over the fence. It's not a particularly large fence, just a little more than enough to outline where Vesta's property merges into public domain. And yet, he still counts it as a win when a look of surprise crosses her face before her current scowl returns.

"Well, did you at least unpollute the river?" he inquires, a lazy lilt accompanying his easy stride towards her.

Her face is skeptical to say the least, a mixture of distrust and confusion marring it. He reaches his hand out towards her and a fleeting look of triumph rises up from the depths before being squashed down by whatever training has taught her to school her expressions. She accepts his hand and with a decent amount of struggle she manages to scramble up the muddy river bank.

"To answer your earlier question I never did get that boot."

She's already making headway back towards the bridge when her words finally sink in.

"What do you mean you didn't get the boot?" he demands, angrily stalking towards her and laying his hand on her shoulder.

She wrenches herself away from his grasp before wheeling around to face him. Okay maybe that hadn't been his best idea. Her clothes are nearly see through now. "It was stuck under a fucking rock okay? And since we've already established that I'm not as strong as you, remember our conversation involving physics? Which for some shitty reason you think can't be applied to farming- I couldn't get it. If you're so god-damned worried about the environment then be my fucking guest and go get the damned thing."

He very much so remembers their first meeting, this is why this meeting is currently labeled as the second meeting. But she won't understand his logic and so he remains stock still aside from the fact that his mouth that seems to be opening and closing like a gaping fish on its own accord.

He's still not entirely sure what caused him to question her. After all, it's not like it particularly matters. One boot gone astray that's currently stuck underneath a rock meaning that it's not likely to leave anytime soon won't make or break the environment.

But Celia would've done something about it, his mind instantly defends which catches him off guard. The logical part of him knows that someone of Celia's health status wouldn't be caught dead trying to wrench a boot from underneath a rock. Not on her own accord and definitely not with an over protective Vesta mere feet away, even if she is currently preoccupied.

And then that's when he starts to wonder why she popped in his mind at all and what does it even matter. After all she's both married to Jack and currently expecting his child. The first child to be exact, he's not entirely sure how well that fact sits with him but he doesn't have much more time to dwell on these facts when something catches his attention out of the corner of his eye.

He vaguely recognizes it as the door to the shop opening when Vesta and the delicate status customer following her exit. He's never been more elated to have an excuse to leave a conversation, even if it did involve having to deal with ehem, delicate status customer. Except instead of being asked to help carry a shipment of seeds off towards the beach to be deported to the other island chain, Vesta asks him to finish double-checking the inventory of the order.

"I'll handle getting it on the boat, don't you worry!" Vesta announces with an unrivaled amount of zeal.

The old man only grunts in reply before hobbling off towards the bridge. It's then that Marlin notices that Jill is no longer standing where their explosive argument occurred. He's not entirely sure why he just noticed this, but decides to not dwell on it. Even though Vesta hadn't berated him on his all too unsavory outing taking place at the Blue Bar she had made it known, rather vehemently, that he was under no circumstances supposed to "stir up trouble" on Jack's farm.

He doesn't think that having a conversation, even a heated one, counts as "stirring up trouble" because it wasn't located on Jack's farm. But that's just a minor discrepancy and while he recognizes tiny variances like that he knows Vesta will be annoyed all the same. And just the thought of having to deal with getting rid of the ringing from his head after one of their (mostly one-sided on her part) shouting matches is enough to cause the start of a headache all it's own.

On that note he decides to throw himself into counting bags of seeds. And yet, he can't help but remember how Jill had called him strong. A complete stranger (he decides that's why he was comparing her to Celia in the first place- her newness still hasn't worn off yet) thinks, no knows, that he can handle himself while all Vesta seems to think he's good for is counting. He'd be lying if he said that it didn't send a wave of emotions through him that he didn't understand. But there's always lying by omission and not talking has always been one of his strong suits, so it's no surprise then that he just decides not to just not think about it anymore. Not talking is just as easy as not thinking and so begins his descent into the mind-numbing business of dealing in numbers until they blur in front of him.

* * *

 **Mostly I'm just low key impressed that I managed to get this up before my self-made Sunday deadline. Although that probably has something to do with the fact that I don't have class until 7pm today because my CEM lab doesn't start until next week. Anyway thanks to the total 9 people that read this or accidentally clicked on the first chapter only to not review (not that I can complain I do that all the time now yay for laziness).**

 **Anyway I figured I should clear some things up: Celia & Jack are married- but Jack wasn't in the last chapter because he was doing who knows what. This is told through the view-point of Marlin and he's not psychic so there's that. Jack is not dead! He just wasn't around for the last chapter. **

**Jill is fresh out of college and has taken on the task of taking care of the crops on Jack's farm. Jack now runs the ranch part of the farm while she handles the plants so they can double their money! Yay for efficiency. Also Jill lives in a guest at the back of the property because why not.**

 **Skye won't be around for a while but I plan on having him around eventually so there's that- I'm probably an awful person for making the fangirls wait so long but whatever. Engineering has already killed my soul so it's not like I particularly care anymore. *looks at notes to see how long it'll be* You know what I might have to bump it up because I don't know how long I can take writing Romance/Drama/Angst without throwing Skye into the mix.**

 **More fun facts about this story will be posted in the next chapter. Also can you guess who the _delicate_ status customer was? I tried not to make it too obvious but yeah I just needed to use a character from a different HM game. It sort of makes sense *shrugs* Anyway if you guess correctly I'll give you a virtual cookie. Or help with calculus hw if you want- take your pick (granted I've only taken up to Calc 2 so far but shhhh).**

 **As always please review it's lonely over here :( I mean even if it's just to say it sucks that's fine. This is mostly fanservice for myself so there's that.**


	3. Chapter 3

It's just him and Vesta running the farm now. It's a scary thought to dwell on- who knows what could happen if they were to have one bad harvest. After all, Celia spends her days helping around Jack's farm now, she always did have a way with crops.

Although, he muses, that appears to be Jill's domain nowadays. What with Celia so far along in her pregnancy amongst other factors. From what he can glean off of Vesta's long-winded ramblings that she uses to fill the empty space in-between them, Celia has taken to traversing Jack's expansive farm. The extensive orchard, the muted calls of farm animals, it all sounds so very charming.

But that's getting off task, he chides himself before resuming the menial work he's been resigned to. He can't let his mind wander, not even if he despises the work that's laid out before him. Although he does have to begrudgingly admit that he always was better at handling the numbers than Vesta.

However, just like the fact that the faint patter of rain on roof is a sign that the crops will be healthier for it, he doesn't have to enjoy doing what he's good at. There's a fine line between good and better and it's a razor thin line that he appears to be traversing. He's good at numbers only because Vesta's relatively worse at numbers than him. Just like she's good at dealing with customers compared to him since he can barely hold a conversation. It's all relative he realizes and as much as he hates recognizing this fact he knows it to be true.

The rain has become more of an annoyance than soothing at this point. Vesta won't let him help and yet ironically from this vantage point he can see how slowly but steadily their farm is declining.

He lets out a sigh before dropping the pencil that he's been clenching just a little too tight next to the neat ledger that keeps track of the farm's expenses. He cracks his knuckles and runs a hand through his already disastrous mop of a hair-do.

It used to be a rock paper scissor sort of deal on the farm. Instead of a complete cycle however, it would end at rock beating scissors and scissors beating paper. Or perhaps their system used to be a numbers one, with Vesta being three, him being two and Celia being one. Because bigger is always better except when it comes to problems, and more debt and he realizes he's getting off track again.

Dropping his head to the book in front of him he tries to force the numbers out of his head. It's impossible he decides when he finds himself counting sheep like the unknowledgeable rancher he is.

He wishes, oh Goddess how he wishes, that he could finally get over the aftermath of his sickness. The doctors keep telling him he's a walking miracle, that the country air does wonders in improving his health, but is living really worth it when he can't even be of use?

He knows that the doctors told Vesta in hushed whispers that he might have suicidal thoughts. He knows that she's done her best at carving out a position for him on the farm. He also knows that it's ridiculous that they never brought the topic up with him. Because really, what kind of doctor just decides not to mention to their patient that something might happen and how to act accordingly if it does? It puts an unneeded pressure on his sister, when she's already done so much for him.

He slams a fist against the surface of the wooden table causing it to shudder in agony. Letting out a groan of frustration he sits up to cradle his hand against his chest. He just wants to be better already, is that really too much to ask for? He's come back full circle he realizes as he begins to bite the inside of his cheek.

Full circle, _full circle_ , **full** \- that's it he realizes. The farm use to be run like a game of rock paper scissors that never came full circle. That was their fatal flaw. If Vesta was the rock and he was the scissors then all they needed was the paper. The paper that could out-do Vesta but wasn't necessarily stronger than Marlin.

It would be a risk taking on new blood, he grimaces as he glances down at the books again, but it was a risk that they would have to take. They would have to be young, scrappy, willing to work hard and above all be fine with the pittance they would be allotted after all was said and done. Room and board would of course be provided. He's never been more grateful for the fact Celia's room is currently vacant than right in this moment.

Feeling more rejuvenated than he had in a long time he hastily set about drawing up the advertisement. It would be a lie to say that he didn't enjoy imagining the defensive reaction Jack would take. Their farm was finally on the offensive, something that he hadn't even realized until now was possible.

* * *

 **Ayyyeeeee look at me getting another chapter up before my self-anointed Sunday deadline. (Lowkey impressed that I've managed to keep this up for this long heh) Anyway, Fun fact for this story I realized as I started writing it that almost every single heart event (save for the Blue Heart event) Celia was in some way involved. Which is all fine and dandy because it's not like I killed her or anything but the more I thought about it the more I realized that unless I bumped up the heart events to years later it wouldn't make any sense for her to be involved. Especially when it comes right down to it that Jill runs the crop part of the farm now and Celia has pretty much just taken on the role of dutiful wife. Not that she minds granted- she can do whatever she pleases but I just can't imagine her running around looking for crop seeds in the purple heart event with a baby on her hip or her living upstairs of Vesta's house in the black heart event (although looking back now I could probably incorporate her in some way shape or form during the black heart event but it's too late now so there's that).**

 **But I digress- I decided to incorporate a new character to take her place although now the heart events will be slightly altered due to the fact that I'm taking an author's liberty and adding a completely different character with a completely different personality. I hope nobody minds but seeing as this is my story they can always just not read it if they don't want to *sideways glance*.**

 **OH yes we have one review to attend to thank you Durotos for reviewing :D You made my day :)**

 **Okay let's see first things first I'm sorry that my present tense is difficult to read :( I have other stories that are written in past tense if you'd prefer those but I just felt compelled to write this one in present tense not really sure why lol**

 **I'm also glad that you enjoy my descriptions and Jill's muttering about physics. My roommate is currently taking it so I'd figure what better way to showcase her college degree than to have her try to explain herself through the usage of what she's learned at college. Not really sure if you need physics for an agriculture degree but maybe she took it for fun or maybe she did for a minor or maybe the college required it because this is a fictional piece of work and it doesn't really matter.**

 **Also, the delicate customer was Taro at least in my mind, but granted I wrote that at 11 pm and was really out of it by the time I finished it heh and your offerings make a lot more sense . But I also couldn't really follow the fogu site for HM:FoMT that well and I've actually played HM:SI so yeah I went there. Not that it particularly matters and it could really be anybody so you still receive a virtual cookie yay!**

 **Also I'm glad you don't mind that Skye hasn't shown up yet :D I'm trying to figure out a way to bring him in earlier than originally planned but it's currently slow going... And I hope you don't mind that this chapter is shorter than the other two- I just really needed a sort of filler chapter to explain why the character that shows up in the next chapter shows up.**

 **Anyway- if you guys want to guess as to who the character I'll be bringing in the next chapter is I'm sure I can smuggle a virtual cookie to you from my college's cafe ;)**

 **OH I almost forgot again thanks to the 1 favorite by redhoodfan who is either a really dedicated fanfiction reader or a computer seeing as they've currently favorited 5000 stories but I don't care either way since it boosts my story's prestige. And thank you redhoodfan & Deidranin for also following my story. Even if it's not a review I still appreciate your silent feedback :)**


	4. Chapter 4

The third he sees her, she stumbles into his and Vesta's house early one morning. His first instinct is to assume that she's there to see Celia, only to remember that if she really wanted to see Celia she wouldn't currently be standing in front of him. And then he remembers that she's in charge of the crops over on Jack's farm and everything makes sense again. She's here to see Vesta, more than likely to ask for help.

 _Or undermine your operation_ , his conscience suggests.

But he can't imagine this bright-eyed bushy-tailed creature to have nefarious plans so he forces himself to grunt out that Vesta's currently upstairs.

Jill shoots him a confused look and he doesn't blame her. Vesta's bed is currently unkempt and shoved against the wall on the first floor as per usual, so his sister doesn't exactly have a reason for being up there. Besides cleaning perhaps, maybe he'll say she's cleaning, but will that really work? He doesn't want to think about logistics right now, he just wants to keep Jill away from the truth for as long as possible. Because as soon as she finds out that they've hired Claire she'll tell Jack and then he'll retaliate because hiring Claire is practically a declaration of war.

But then her confused look is quickly replaced with a pleasant grin. "And what if I came to talk to you?" she asks with a higher pitched lilt that he's never heard fall from her mouth before.

His insides turn to a warm gooey mess because he doesn't remember the last time somebody's come to see him. Also he likes her smile, but then he reminds himself that they're at _war_ even if Jill doesn't realize it yet. So instead he tries to stomp this new revelation out as quickly as possible. Besides, it's too god-damn early for anything like this to be occurring so he settles for a glare in hopes that she'll get the picture.

She doesn't, instead she decides to make herself at home by walking towards him and settling in the chair that was previously unoccupied and is currently directly in front of the one he's sitting in.

"So, favorite food?" she asks dipping her head towards his crumb-filled plate that's lying on the table in between them, currently unused and slightly askance. She asks the question as though they're old friends, or new friends that have nothing currently between them, as though it's not a loaded question with a million different ways that she could use this against him in the future. He tries not to think about the fact that his stomach is currently doing somersaults because it assumes that this interaction is sincere.

And so he forces himself to stutter out, "I don't exactly have one."

It's her turn to raise her eyebrow in a questioning manner. "You don't have a favorite food?"

"Well, what I mean by that is- well you see, the thing is, I mean if I'm going to be honest here I never have a good answer for that question. That one question in particular. Just that question." He's making a fool of himself he realizes but it's too late to do anything about it. He's not entirely sure if it's a conscience decision on his part or not, but at least he's keeping Jill away from discovering the fact that Claire exists. And yet it doesn't stop his head from racing a million miles a minute or the warmth that manages to make its way to his face in the form of a blush as he stumbles over his words.

Thankfully he's saved from making himself look more of a fool by Vesta traipsing down the stairs. "Oh Jill! You're here," she announces in her signature fashion. Followed by a suggestive tone of, "You and Marlin together? Well that's unexpected!"

Jill turns her head and the sly smirk that had previously begun to form is replaced by a giant beaming one. If Marlin had ever hated his sister it was in this moment, not that he could ever actually hate his sister.

Vesta drops her tone by an octave, "What were you two talking about?"

Marlin manages to mutter, "Jill this conversation is over," and by some miracle she appears to silently agree.

"It was nothing really. Absolutely not a big deal whatsoever." He thinks that perhaps he should work on doing a better job at this whole acting cool in stressful situations thing. Because currently he's not doing even a semi-decent job on any level.

"Well if you say so," Vesta announces with an air of suggestiveness that portrays the fact that she doesn't believe a word of what he's currently spewing. "Was there anything you needed Jill?"

"I was just curious if you had gotten those Shiitake seeds in yet, that's all."

"They're actually expected in tomorrow. Hey, if you come back tomorrow you can even meet Claire."

"Claire?" Jill asks, curiosity pouring out through her words even though it's obvious that she's trying to appear nonchalant.

"The newly hired help, it was Marlin's idea actually," Vesta declares as though she's not currently disclosing information that she should most definitely not be disclosing.

"Oh really? Well, that's understandable. I can't wait to meet her. I'll see you tomorrow Vesta and tell Claire that I look forward to meeting her as well."

Jill shoots him a knowing look on the way out of the house, leaving in a gust of wind and rain, the turmoil equivalent to what's currently occurring inside of him.

* * *

 **Ayyyeeee I'm alive and still made it by my Sunday night deadline, nice. Anyway sorry for the delay I kind of went into a weird downward spiral this week and drowned my sorrows in parks & rec but that's besides the point. I mean I literally spilled hot chocolate on my computer last night and stayed up until 1 am crying over the fact that I don't have a Ben Wyatt of my own- my life is such a mess right now but moving on I'm here and I didn't forget this story :D Anyway on to fun facts about this story.**

 **Oh Marlin you poor overthinking child of mine that I have forced to be this awkward. I actually didn't originally plan on making him this paranoid but he is now. Also you'll be pleased to hear that I have planned out how to bring Skye into the picture (he gets to be brought in earlier than I originally planned too) and also I planned on how they Marlin & Jill get together. Is impressed with myself. Also nobody guessed the character I was bringing *sadface* anyway, I brought her in because I plan on having a sequel involving Claire but that's still up in the air so maybe I'm jumping the gun there. Also fun fact, one of my friend's is now an uncle because his sister just had a baby girl and her name is Claire which is really funny to me because you know, I just introduced the character Claire lol**

 **Now on to reviews**

 **Durotos: If you want a virtual peanut butter cookie be my guest- peanut butter cookies are _really_ good not going to lie. Although tbh I'm more of a double chocolate chip cookie kind of person. Anyways, I'm glad you enjoy my writings about the farm! I figured since it's a farming game I should probably include some of those aspects in my writing lol What's not taking a college math class like? xD I'm currently in Calc 2 fml and I still have to go through Calc 3  & Calc 4 smh and I'm glad you liked that analogy I think it was like midnight when I wrote that so I'm glad it makes sense xD**

 **Deidranin: Hey! Welcome to the world of reviewing! I'm glad you decided to write on and also felt like my story was worth the follow :D And I'll try my best lol I got this one in on time- I almost didn't post this until today but I finished it and re-read it and said okay well I'm still sort of awake and don't really want to work on German hw so might as well post this now lol**

 **Hope this chapter was up to expectations! I really do enjoy writing the tension between these too, and it's really interesting because I'm forcing myself not to write in omniscient third-person so whatever Marlin thinks is what we see so if he misunderstands something that's the way the story is shaped just as an fyi of sorts for future chapters *cough* hint *cough***


	5. Chapter 5

The clouds promise rain, that much is for certain. So it comes as no surprise, although his annoyance isn't any less, that Vesta shoves him into the storefront to take stock. He tries arguing that it's not even raining yet, but her glare is enough to silence even the unruliest of customers so he refrains.

So he accepts the hand he's been dealt with for the day, but decides that he's not required to enjoy it. He stews, lost in a downward spiral of thoughts as he methodically updates the store's inventory.

For once, in what feels like forever in fact, the farm's books are up-to-date. It doesn't mean he has to like the fact that nearly every day during this goddess-forsaken season it's been a tumultuous downpour. Or at least, as of recent, he supposes. The weather was decent while the snow was receding, but now- well now he's wishing it was snow because at least then he wouldn't feel as useless. Jill appears completely soaked at some point during his agitated session of self-degradation and that's when he notices just how heavy it's started to come down.

"Come to do some shopping?" he asks from where he's leaning against a stack of palleted seeds.

She looks up from where she's currently surveying a product before sending him a smile. "Actually yes, I was wondering if Vesta had gotten in that shipment of Shiitake seeds? Since Vesta mentioned that they should be in today and all."

She's rambling he realizes after he gets over the fact that she's even here in the first place. "The shop's actually closed," he bites out a little more harshly than he had originally intended.

"My bad," she says nonchalantly even though it's obvious that she's not actually sorry in any way, shape or form. "The door was unlocked, didn't realize that you'd be turning willing-to-pay customers away." She has a spark of determination in her eye that's borderline dangerous he realizes as she stares him down.

"That's Vesta's domain," he shoots back, just as determined as she is not to back down in defeat.

"And you can't fill in for her?" she asks her voice filled with confusion.

"No- it's not like that, it's just, okay fine. I got sick a while ago and now Vesta sends me inside whenever the weather has a remote possibility of rain."

"So this is just temporary then?"

"Yes," he responds in a way that he hopes doesn't convey the fact that it's more of a _hopefully_.

Claire bursts in the door, even more over-exuberant than the day before. He's not entirely sure why she's this optimistic but he's quickly regretting his decision to allow Vesta complete control over hiring their new assistant.

"Oh hi!" she exclaims bounding up to the two of them all sunshine and smiles. She's like the sun glinting off the snow in winter, all too much and everywhere at once and yet you can't look away. "I'm Claire!" she announces as she excitedly shakes Jill's hand up and down.

He's grateful for the fact that Jill seems taken aback for the first time. Maybe Claire isn't that bad after all, he thinks to himself.

"And I'm Jill," Jill replies after a beat of silence.

Claire smiles brilliantly before furrowing her brows after retracting her hand. "Now where was it?"

"Where was what?" he asks.

"That sentence doesn't even make sense," Jill mutters. He glares at her and she returns it steadily.

Claire pays attention to neither of them and proceeds to clap her hands together in excitement. "Found them!"

"What are you looking for?" he calls out.

"Oh Vesta just told me to go get some seeds," she replies before starting to count the bags under her breath.

"You can't really expect to hold all those bags," Marlin declares in disbelief. "Let me help you."

Claire turns around to look up at him, "I'm sorry, but Vesta told me that under no circumstances was I allowed to have you help me." She seems genuinely apologetic, and that's honestly the worst part of this whole venture.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Jill snorts. "Why not? You might as well get this big lug to help you." She hip checks him and shoots him a conspiratorial grin. He takes his previous statement back, this is definitely the worst part of this whole venture.

And yet Claire doesn't seem to take stock of Jill's statement and instead continues mumbling to herself about how she can't ask Jill for help even though it's a large load. Looking up suddenly she quickly drops the bags back into their crate. "I've got it! Vesta will be able to help me," and with that she's enthusiastically exiting the building.

"But-" he tries to say as Claire continues to blatantly ignore him.

Jill lays her hand on his arm, "She's just trying to do her job."

"I know-" he starts.

"And besides, you should try to have a more positive outlook. I mean you obviously have somebody who is going to try their very best to do whatever they can. Finding good help can be hard in this day and age, and it looks like you've found some."

He sighs, "You're right. Celia always told me that I should have a positive outlook on life."

"And look at her, she's married and has a kid on the way," Jill points out.

He smiles, "Thanks." Normally the fact that Celia is living on Jack's farm would irk him, and yet in this setting it gives him hope for the future.

Jill flashes him a smile of her own just as Claire bursts through the door again.

"Turns out Vesta just needed one bag, so I must've misheard her," Claire announces in a fashion that suggests she's genuinely disappointed in herself.

He laughs, "It's no big deal. After all, it's only the first day on the job."

Claire instantly cheers up and replies, "Well I'd better get these seeds out to Vesta," before turning back to continue her work.

When Claire leaves Jill turns to him and smiles, "I like her."

* * *

 **Ayyeeee I'm still alive. College is kind of crazy lol But don't worry my goal is to get another chapter up by tomorrow night to make up for last week :D Claire is basically a ball of sunshine and never-ending enthusiasm in this story. Which is why I wanted to make a sequel where she grew up a little bit because she's really naive here. But that's still up in the air so there's that. And aww look Jill & Marlin had a moment- almost wanted to continue but I figured it'd be better to leave it like that instead of having them go back to arguing which is what they would've done heh**

 **Anyway on to reviews:**

 **Durotos: For your comment on the whole war thing may I refer you back to underneath the section of Reviews on Chapter 4? And also Chapter 8 in the future when that gets handled ;) Because trust me I have a plan for that. I have a lot of plans for a lot of things (lowkey have through Ch. 24 planned out right now which is also where Skye gets brought into play so that's a party). Also, no math classes in college sounds amazing :D Unfortunately I'll never get to enjoy the beauty of that :( and ayeeee I feel so privileged that when your husband started taking a physics course this story was what you thought of :D**

 **Oh boy I'm really tired so I should probably go get some more coffee before I start the next chapter. Hope everyone enjoys this one! As always reviews would be lovely and I appreciate each and every one of my readers/reviews/followers/favoriters *heart emoji***


	6. Chapter 6

The front bell rings and he finds himself surprised that he's disappointed in the fact that it's not Jill. He manages to convince himself that it's only a slight disappointment and not the kind that sends one into a tizzy. After all, they did get into an argument the last time she visited the store. But that's beside the point because he's currently trying to act as though he's most definitely not inconspicuously listening to the exchange that's occurring.

"Can I help you sir?" Claire asks, every bit the blonde-haired blue-eyed spokesperson she is.

He peeks through the slats in the crates and notices a tall, spindly man leaning over the counter and talking in a hushed tone. The man's not from Forget-Me-Not Valley, that much is certain. His hair is too silvery, almost translucent white and his eyes too dark a cerulean for him to have been forgotten among the villagers that Marlin knows reside in the valley.

Claire's face scrunches up as though she's seriously contemplating whatever she's just been asked. "Nope," she announces with a pop of the p, "Can't say I know anything on that subject."

The man stutters something out that Marlin still can't hear.

"I just recently moved here, sorry wish I could be of more help but, oh wait! Hey Marlin, this customer has a question," Claire exclaims before gesturing wildly, forcing him leave his place in the shadows.

"Marlin," he says with a sense of finality as he offers his hand to the blond male.

"Gill," the twig of a male responds.

It would be a lie to say that Marlin hadn't been expecting a weak handshake. Which is why he's genuinely impressed to find that Gill has a firm handshake.

"What was your question?" Marlin asks, drawing himself to full height and crossing his arms. He doesn't exactly have all day and he wants this _Gill_ to have that message made clear to him.

"I was curious as to whether or not you knew anything on the subject of the Harvest Goddess?" Gill manages to stutter out, beginning to visibly shake.

Okay, so maybe, towering over the poor shrimp of a guy wasn't exactly necessary. Marlin shrugs his shoulders as he uncrosses his arms and places his hands back into his pockets. "Sorry, this is a store front for a farm, religion's not the kind of good we sell here."

Gill's face goes dark and he manages to spit out, "That's-" before being cut off.

"Isn't there a church in Mineral Town?" Claire asks, her voice sounding off without it's normal shrill accompanying it.

Marlin thinks for a split second before responding, "Actually yes."

"So Mineral Town?" Gill asks, his voice betraying his unsureness of the whole ordeal.

"Yup," Claire continues as she continues to flip through one of seed catalogs on the counter. It's silent save for the sound of pages being flipped until Claire glances up, "Oh! Do you not know where it is? Okay, so if you take a left out of this store and go straight you'll find the path to Mineral Town. If you follow the path you can't miss the downtown. And everyone's so friendly there I'm sure you'll be able to find the church in no time."

"Oh thanks," Gill says with a nod before exiting the shop in a manner that suggests he's still not entirely sure what had just occurred.

Marlin turns to her, "You know where Mineral Town is?"

She shrugs and finishes blowing a bubble of overly pink gum. "That's where my ship was docked when it came in, this red-head practically dragged me around town and so that's the only reason why I knew about the church and why I sent him there."

"That's oddly thoughtful of you," he replies slowly with a curious glance sent her way.

"Really? Aww thank you! You see I thought maybe you might know something about the Goddess seeing as you live here and all but I don't know why I didn't think to just send him to the church in the first place. Oh well, what's done is done."

Her attention is once again focused back on the seed catalog that she'd been previously assigned to search through for possible deals while he's left to continue inventorying the new stock that had just recently come in.

The next box is loaded with Shiitake seeds and he instantly thinks of Jill again. "Hey, have you seen Jill recently?" he calls from within the recesses of randomly strewn crates.

"Nope, I haven't seen her since I met her. Why? Has she asked about me? Maybe I should go talk to her again. Hmm, do you think it's rude that I haven't introduced myself properly? Maybe I should go- well, no I don't know how to bake so-"

He cuts her off, "No, I just saw the seeds she'd been asking after and was wondering if she had ever picked them up."

"Oh! The mushroom seeds, right? Yeah, Vesta mentioned that she had picked them this past Monday."

"Oh, thanks Claire." He doesn't want to admit that he feels a disappointment, only a slight one mind you, that it appears as though Jill is currently avoiding him, so he tries his best to keep his voice level.

It must've worked because she cheerily responds, "You're welcome!" before picking up a pen from beside her and circling something in the catalog.

* * *

 **Ayeeee look at me, I haven't even left my spot in the cafeteria in like 4 hrs. I really have to pee xD Anyway, here it is. Lowkey was going to be like guess the character for Gill but then decided that that wasn't worth it. So you can guess the red-head who dragged Claire around but let's be real- we all know who it is. Anyway, the first draft had Claire being more pointed and I quickly scrapped that because that's not her character in this story. She is very much the bubblegum blowing blonde who is ditzy but tries her best (as of right now). However, she'll get her own break when she provides random bits of wisdom every now and then.**

 **Oh boy- sorry this chapter is short but Chapter 7 is going to bring in the foundation for how Jill & Marlin finally get together (which officially occurs in Chapters 15 & 16). And Chapter 8- well that one's going to be a doozy so hold on to your socks for that one. Also foreshadowing of Skye starts in Chapter 11 I believe but he really comes into play around Chapter 24 *glances sideways***

 **Anyway on to Reviews**

 **Durotos: I thought it was an interesting take on her as well. Fun fact Jill was originally going to be more like Claire, and her and Marlin would get together because she made him feel stronger because she needed his help but then she swore in the first chapter and that idea went down the drain xD Which now looking back is probably for the best because that's not exactly the healthiest way to start a relationship *glances sideways* And yay! I'm seriously considering it- however I need to finish The Heart-Shaped Key before I create the sequel. I also need a decent plot because currently it's she moves to Mineral Town and needs a shit ton of help because she's overly optimistic about her abilities heh**

 **Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed how I portrayed Marlin in the last chapter! It was roughly based on the purple heart event (lowkey had the youtube video up on the computer as I wrote the chapter) and was trying to incorporate both Claire and Jill and Marlin in a way that was believable. And I'm glad you picked up on the fact that a non-ball of sunshine needed to point out his problems to him. Jill seems more human than Claire to him at this point and can actually stand up to him so he respects her in his own way.**

 **Also! Thank you for favoriting and following :D I really appreciate it and your reviews make my day whenever I see them *heart emoji***

 **As you can see Jill & Marlin most definitely did argue about the mushroom seeds after she met Claire. But don't worry Jill comes back in the next chapter and I actually get to leave it on a cliff-hanger oohhh this is exciting. **


	7. Chapter 7

"There's mail," Vesta announces rather unceremoniously as she tosses the single letter onto the table.

He looks up startled from the spot on the table he's been staring at for who knows how long. It's been an uneasy past few weeks what with him having to deal with radio silence from Jill's end and an uncomfortable amount of stony silence on Vesta's. He's never been a particularly talkative person so that leaves Claire to fill the seemingly never ending quiet with her mundane chatter.

Vesta gives him a pointed look when he doesn't automatically reach for the letter. He debates ignoring it because two can play at this game labeled petty. In the end, he decides it's best just to adhere to her wishes. After all, he's not entirely sure how much longer he can handle Claire's unfiltered, unabashed and unfortunately high-pitched opinions.

Leaning forward he manages to take hold of the letter without knocking over any of the table's contents. It's an obviously expensive piece of parchment he realizes before he even attempts to open it. Inlaid gold etching outlines the thick cream paper that comprises the envelope. He's not entirely sure he wants to know what the inner contents of it regale but he has a suspicion that causes a sinking feeling to settle like a stone in his stomach.

Dropping the letter to the table with a sigh he doesn't take care to make sure it avoids landing in the syrup by his plate. "Who's the lucky bastard this time?" he spits out before leveling a glare at Vesta.

She returns it easily before responding with a question of her own, "Is it open?"

"Well no," he manages to grit through his teeth, the coffee he's just started in on having not completely taken effect.

"Then how would I know?" she challenges.

He hates how right she is in this manner but he isn't willing to back down without a fight and so let's out a noncommittal grunt in response instead.

"Not even going to open it?" she inquires, surprise interlaced within her words.

He pushes the chair he's been sitting in away from the table and stands up. "I should really be going."

"But it's-" Vesta starts.

"Eight a.m. and the crops won't be harvesting themselves," he states matter-of-factly.

"We have Claire," she points out.

"Claire still can't tell the difference between a cucumber and a cabbage," he snaps perhaps too harshly.

Vesta tilts her head to the side and purses her lips together, "That's an exaggeration and you and I both know it."

Marlin lets out a snort of indignation, "Either way you still have a wedding to help plan," He steps away from the table not even bothering to push his chair in before passing her, "so if you'll excuse me."

There's a pause before, "Marlin, if the invitations have already been sent out you do realize that means there's already a wedding planner involved?"

He lets out a low, clipped laugh, "I wouldn't put it past her to have hired someone expensive. Maybe even a whole committee of them."

Vesta turns to face him and he does the same to her. The tension that's been brewing between them has finally surmounted to this moment. "What's your problem?" she explodes and he nearly stumbles back at her outburst.

"What's my problem? More like what's your fucking problem? You decide to play buddy buddy with the enemy and then pretend like nothing happened. You're a fucking joke."

Vesta's face flashes with confusion, then anger before realization finally finds its resting place. "That wasn't what you think it was."

"Then what was it?" he demands, his voice dangerously low.

She pinches the bridge of her nose, "We lost Taro as a customer."

He stares at her in bewilderment before finally finding the ability to speak, "What?"

"There's a new farmer on the island so he doesn't need to rely on outside help anymore," she replies with a low sigh attached to her words.

He begins mentally tallying the amount Taro's account regularly brought in. The numbers pass through his mind and he can feel himself visibly begin to blanche. They won't last another season let alone through winter.

Getting rid of Claire is always an option he supposes. Although they haven't even had her on long enough to assess whether she's more help or hindrance at this point. So really, either way is a gamble, a risk he wishes they didn't have to take.

Unless, _unless_ , _**unless**_ , he's completely misread the situation and Vesta's only doing what she can to keep the farm afloat. That phone call he overheard the other day was her way of trying to salvage what she could.

"What's the catch?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Vesta never gets the chance to respond because in the next instant Jill bursts through the front door. It's the first time he's seen her since their argument and all wide-eyed bewilderment was definitely not how he imagined her appearance. Not that he's admitting to anything, he hurriedly reminds himself.

Except he's not given the chance to continue that line of thought because the next words out of Jill's mouth cause him to lose it. "Celia's gone into labor," she manages to stammer out as she leans against the door frame to catch her breath.

* * *

 **Ayyyyyeeeeee cliff hanger because I'm an awful author. I mean to be fair I did tell you guys this was going to happen last chapter in my author's notes heh Anyway sorry for the delay. Let's see three weekends ago I had to study for my Calc midterm & then the next weekend I was going to write this chapter and say sorry can't write another right away because I have a German midterm except I got sick! And literally did nothing but sleep all weekend so YAY (among other sick things that I figure you guys don't want to read about heh).**

 **OH! Also, the person they're talking about is their mother. That will be expanded upon in the next chapter. I'm taking a creative license by introducing their mother heh please don't hate me**

 **OH REVIEWSSSSSSS You guys- both the two people that reviewed did so on my birthday :D It literally made my day (that was also my calc midterm so it made a shitty day better) So thanks for that!**

 **Artificiary: ayyeeee lowkey I didn't really recognize the whole Jack/Jill thing until I wrote this story either xD I mean it was always kind of there in the background and then I wrote that and went ayyeeeee I see what they did there xD Also, I'm so glad you enjoy my writing style :D I thought I'd try something new because I normally write in omniscient past tense but this is fun to write as well. When I first started writing this I wanted a story that flowed and that style felt like the best fit because past tense always feels so stilted compared to present tense. I'm glad Skye's bumping up is making you happy :D I have up through Chapter 25 planned lol and a basic plot idea after that so you know I'm in it for the long haul. And I'm glad you enjoy Claire's bubbliness! I felt like adding another angry character (while you could always tweak it slightly to add variey) would be an overdose of sighs & snark. Plus Jill was supposed to be bubbly but then she swore so that changed and in turn I decided that Claire was going to be everything Jill was originally supposed to be. And yasss Gill, couldn't resist lol also you'll be seeing another AP character (in Chapter 19 to be exact). And yes, him asking about the Harvest Goddess was definitely a reference to him being away at the beginning of AP. Have a cookie for catching that *hands cookie* Thanks for following :)**

 **Durotos: As far as I know you are following this story xD Probably just a system error *shrugs* Hopefully your email will update you to this one! And it's chill, the characters from AP & the newer games are mostly just for spice and in the case of Taro a minor, _minor_ plot point. So don't worry. And I'm glad that his description was enough to keep you from being lost :D I'm glad you're looking forward to more updates because a lot of things should be coming to light pretty soon. *cough* next chapter *cough***

 **Also ayeee thanks for the favorite** **Mirria1! ALSO OH MY GOODNESS I'M SO SORRY** **whyamIevenhere- I never got the message that you followed this for whatever reason but thank you! Hope you two enjoy this chapter :)**


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